Caravelle Epicée
by Frapin

Very dusty and averagely dry spicy chypre  led in the top by a storm of misty spices as probably cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and star anice that in the fading of the whirls unveil a soul of mild woods, sweet-boozy tobacco, patchouli and amber. The last is not fat, some greens whirl in composition and the dry down is light and almost sharp in its mild woody, slightly liquorous, a touch creamy and smokey sweetness. A note of cumin  brings on the side of leather an hint of dissonance and a sweaty human undertone. The note of cumin is not so prominent as in Kingdom ( whose dissonance Caravelle Epicee reminds) but is enough present to be noticeable. Exotic as the wake of a caravel  sailing across the southern seas.

21st September, 2011.

On the whole, Caravelle Epicée frustrates me. It is episodically interesting, with the top notes and dry down being particularly irksome. The opening is overpowered by a nutmeg note that has all the allure of wet cardboard and castor oil. The drydown seems light and peppery, but lacks gravitas, poise, or anything that might make someone miss its passing.

The heart notes are pretty decent, it is dry, warm and comforting, but it’s all too little and too brief. Caravelle Epicée constantly leaves me asking the question “and?”

8th April, 2011. (Last Edited: 18th November, 2011.)

One of the best spicy scents you can get. Perfect for autumn/winter. It`s very warm and "cozy". If you like scents like Malle`s Noir Epices and Musc Ravageur, you will love this one. Highly recommended for spice-lovers!

8th March, 2011.

This is a very warm spicy (not chilli) but spice-prominent perfume.
A must have if you like spices.

20th February, 2011.

Spices, spices, spices. What more could you ask for? a perfect combination of sharp spices and sweet gourmand ones, topped with a touch of liquor. This is a perfect fragrance for something that smells "Christmas-y", it's delicious, warm and boozy. This fragrance reminds me of Body Kouros and Le Male, with higher quality, smoother building, and the complexity multiplied a couple of times. I'd say it's also close to Chergui without the strong honey opening, yet despite the similarity to chergui and other SL fragrances, it still feels simple as a whole, familiar, and not something that constantly tries to challenge you.

Longevity and Projection on this are fantastic, and despite being a spicy natural smelling fragrance, it never turns into a "body odor" smell on those hot days. I can not recommend this fragrance enough, Frapin is a small house with a very promising start.

A very solid 9/10

30th October, 2010.

This is just too spicy-harsh, soapy-sharp and dusty-dry for me, in the vein of pungent vintage orientals like Tabu.

17th December, 2009.